Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to put a nightmare knee injury behind him for both Liverpool and England (Image: GETTY)

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Eighteen months ago, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dreamt of starring for Liverpool as they clinched a Champions League and Premier League double.

He had visions of playing a key role at Russia 2018 as England won the World Cup.

Oxlade-Chamberlain dreamt big.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was forced to spend a year on the sidelines after picking a cruciate ligament injury in Liverpool's Champions League clash with Roma at the end of the 2017/18 season (Image: GETTY)

Then he suffered horrendous knee and hamstring injuries on a fateful night against Roma and suddenly, he was confronted with a nightmare.

Now the 26-year-old’s career is back on track for club and country and he’s allowed his imagination to go into overdrive.

The subject matter might have changed. It’s Euro glory he’s targeting these days combined with club success at Anfield.

He’s hoping to take a step towards achieving his ultimate Three Lions’ goal by being involved in the upcoming qualifiers against Bulgaria tomorrow and Kosovo at his old Southampton stamping ground St Mary’s, 16 months after he last pulled on an England shirt.

But the 26-year-old is back to full fitness and ready to return for Gareth Southgate's England in Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo (Image: GETTY)

“Sure, it’s every boy’s dream,” he says, momentarily looking ahead to next summer with Wembley staging the final of the European Championships.

“We have to respect what is in front of us but we can dream those dreams.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain was always destined for the top. He made his Saints’ debut at 16 and was one of the poster boys when the FA celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013.

Despite injuries destroying so many of his early aspirations, the midfielder remains remarkably upbeat, insisting he’s more excited about what’s ahead than beating himself up at a succession of hard luck stories.

Oxlade-Chamberlain burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Southampton (Image: GETTY)

“I’ll worry about that when I’m 50 and I’ve got a big belly like Dad (former England international, Mark), “ he said.

“It hasn’t all been roses for me for sure and I think I maybe got caught up at a certain age and probably over-achieved when I was 18.

“I was doing some special things at a really young age and there is only a small minority who manage to really kick on all the time and push on to be Lionel Messi for example.

“But at that point, that was where I wanted to go.

The Reds ace insists he wanted to reach the heights Lionel Messi has reached when he was younger (Image: 2019 Quality Sport Images)

“I’ve just turned 26 and now, in my mind, I’m in a position where I still want to go to those places and give myself the best chance to be as good as I can be.”

Recalling his former self, he adds: “I remember I used to think ‘when I’m 24, I want to be right at the peak of my career and it’s alright because I’ve still got two years before I’m 24.’

“You categorise it into years because your career is only so long but then every year would go behind me.

“By 24, I wanted to have won the Champions League and be scoring ten to 15 goals a season. I set these goals but sometimes things just don’t go the way you want them to.

“You have injuries, inconsistency and for sure, in the past, I have been inconsistent.

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“But one thing I would say and why I remain proud of myself, even when things have not gone well, I still make sure I come back with the same optimism to improve and do more.

“I am more than happy with the way I keep positive and keep striving.

“I would say I have enjoyed every minute of my career because it has shaped me to be who I am on and off the pitch.

“By no means do I look back and think what could have been. I am still looking forward at what is hopefully a good stint of my career to go.”